Wrapping tissue paper is commonly used to package and cushion fragile goods within containers, including gift boxes and bags. Typically, entire sheets are lightly crumpled (crushed, so as to becomes creased and wrinkled) and stuffed around gifts, such as bottles of wine, in gift bags. Sometimes shredded tissue paper is used instead of, or in addition to, entire sheets as the stuffing material. As used herein, “shred” means a long narrow strip cut or torn from a larger whole sheet of material. Colorful paper sheets and/or shred make festive packaging materials, filling out a gift box or bag. In addition, crafters often make decorative items, such as flowers, from tissue paper or shred.
Although tissue paper typically has low bending stiffness, crumpled tissue paper, particularly several sheets or many pieces of shredded tissue paper randomly crumpled, provide very satisfactory cushioning at low cost. In addition, the packaging material is light weight, generally non-toxic and it can be easily recycled.
However, many people find it difficult to crumple sheets of tissue paper so as to meet twin goals of decoratively filling a gift box or bag and providing adequate cushioning. Shredded tissue paper may be easier to use in this regard. Shred, typically paper shred, is commonly bulk packaged and sold as filler. However, packages of pre-shredded tissue paper are voluminous, inasmuch as much of the packages' volumes are occupied by air, creating storage problems. For example, retail store shelf and hanging display space is limited, making it difficult to store and display sufficient quantities and varieties (colors, etc.) of shredded tissue paper.